Installing on Windows

Rex can run as a server on Windows so that clients can access it as a remote host.

IMPORTANT: Rex on Windows is in testing and is currently open to a subset of testers in Discord. We will extend testing to more people soon.

On Windows, every server is a personal server, which runs as your own account. You can configure the Rex server to start at boot or at sign-in, as Running on Windows explains. Server Modes, Shared Server and Login Server do not apply to Windows.

System Requirements

Install

Rex isn’t signed yet, so while it’s in testing, Windows may warn that the publisher is unknown.

Every installation scenario installs rex.exe and puts it on your PATH, but does not automatically start a server or install a Windows Service. You must do this manually with rex server install after Rex is installed.

WinGet (Recommended)

WinGet is the recommended way to install Rex Server. You can install via WinGet from either a Zip source (default) or MSI:

Administrator rights are required to add a new WinGet source, so run the first line in a terminal with “Run as Administrator” rights.

The WinGet tab installs Rex for your own account, with no administrator rights. The WinGet (MSI) tab installs it for the whole machine instead, as explained in MSI.

After installation, rex is added to your PATH. PATH changes require opening a new terminal, so open a new terminal to verify this.

MSI

The MSI installs Rex for every account, into %ProgramFiles%\Rex Server, and adds that folder to the system PATH. It needs administrator rights.

The download above is the x86-64 MSI. On ARM64, use the WinGet (MSI) tab or the zip. Open the MSI to run its setup wizard, or install it without a window from a terminal opened with Run as administrator:

msiexec /i rex-windows-amd64.msi /qn

To install somewhere other than %ProgramFiles%\Rex Server, add INSTALLDIR="D:\Tools\Rex Server".

Zip

The zip holds Rex’s files with no installer.

The downloads show here for testers with the Windows role.

If you are using the Zip, it is expected that you know how to move it into a proper location and add rex.exe to your PATH.

Channels

Rex publishes to three channels, each with its own WinGet package:

The install commands use preview. Until the first stable release, winget install Superlogical.RexServer fails, because WinGet treats a channel with no release as a package that doesn’t exist.

To switch channels, remove the package you have, as Removing Rex shows, then install the other one with --source rex.

Package Contents

All packages have the same set of files:

Each way of installing puts them in its own folder:

Removing Rex

Run rex server uninstall before you remove the package. Otherwise the Windows Service or sign-in entry that rex server install made is left pointing at a rex.exe that’s gone. Removing the service needs a terminal opened with Run as administrator.

Removing the package doesn’t stop a server that’s running, so stop it with rex server stop. Then remove the package. For the zip, use a normal terminal, because WinGet won’t remove it from one opened with Run as administrator:

winget uninstall --id Superlogical.RexServer.Preview --source rex

For an MSI you installed yourself, remove “Rex Server” in Add or Remove Programs instead.

For a zip, delete its folder and take it out of your user PATH.

WinGet leaves the zip’s folder on your user PATH, though the folder is gone. You can take it out of your PATH by hand.

Your configuration, %AppData%\rex\init.lua, and Rex’s state and logs, in %LocalAppData%\rex, stay. Delete them to remove every trace of Rex.